One of the virtues in American culture is to help others. Christmas in America means different things to different people. To some people, Christmas means brightly wrapped packages under a decorated tree. To others, it means family reunions and a wonderful meal together. Christmas also means lending a helping hand to people in need. Along with all the hubbub of shopping for presents and sending Christmas cards, many people in America take time to help others. In America and around the world, Christmas offers many opportunities to spread "Peace on earth, good will toward men". For example, Salvation Army bell ringers are a familiar sight to most Christmas shoppers. They stand outside malls and stores collecting money for the needy. Many churches and other organizations collect toys and clothes as Christmas gifts for poor families. The Christmas spirit encourages people to help each other in many large and small ways. The spirit of helping others isn't limited to Christmas. However, Americans help others year-round. Civic clubs such as the Lion's Club, the Elk's Club and the Rotary Club take part in local community projects. Many organizations exist just to help others. The Make a Wish Foundation gives terminally ill children a chance to have their dream come true. Habitat for Humanity helps poor people build their own houses. And besides supporting worthy causes with their money, thousands of Americans donate their time by serving as volunteers in hospitals, homeless shelters and schools. Another virtue Americans respect is perseverance. Remember Aesop's fable about the turtle and the rabbit that had a race? The rabbit thought he could win easily, so he took a nap. But the turtle finally won because he did not give up. Compassion may be the queen of American virtues. The story of "The Good Samaritan" from the Bible describes a man who showed compassion. On his way to a certain city, a Samaritan man found a poor traveler lying on the road. The traveler had been beaten and robbed. The kind Samaritan, instead of just passing by, stopped to help this person in need. Compassion can even turn into a positive cycle. In fall, 1992, people in Iowa sent truckloads of water to help Floridians hit by a hurricane. The next summer, during the Midwest flooding, Florida returned the favor. In less dramatic ways, millions of Americans are quietly passing along the kindness shown them. In no way can this brief description cover all the moral values honored by Americans. Courage, responsibility, loyalty, gratitude and many others could be discussed. In fact, Bennett's best-seller over 800 pages highlights just l0 virtues. Even Bennett admits that he has only scratched the surface. But no matter how long or short the list is, moral values are invaluable. They are the foundation of American culture and any culture.
1. Christmas only means brightly wrapped packages under a decorated tree to Americans.
A.Right
B.Wrong
C.Not mentioned
A B C
B
[解析] 由第2段可知在美国圣诞节对不同的人来说含义不同。
2. Christmas offers many opportunities to spread "Peace on earth, good will toward men" around the world except in America.
A.Right
B.Wrong
C.Not mentioned
A B C
B
[解析] except in America，把美国排除在外显然错了。第3段第1句讲得清楚：在美国及全世界圣诞…，因此该陈述是错的。
3. Americans help others only in Christmas.
A.Right
B.Wrong
C.Not mentioned
A B C
B
[解析] 第3段，帮助别人的精神不仅仅局限在圣诞，美国人全年都在帮助别人。因此该陈述是错的。
4. Compassion may be the most important one of American virtues.
A.Right
B.Wrong
C.Not mentioned
A B C
A
[解析] 第7段第1句中的queen，说明同情心可能是美国人道德的重要部分。
5. Moral values are the foundation of Chinese culture.
A.Right
B.Wrong
C.Not mentioned
A B C
A
[解析] 文章结尾说道德是无价之宝，它们是美国文化的基础，也是任何文化的基础。因此也包括中国。
6. Bennett only touched on ten virtues.
A.Right
B.Wrong
C.Not mentioned
A B C
A
[解析] 倒数第4句：他的800多页的畅销书只谈到10种美德。因此是对的。
7. Aesop's fable about the turtle and the rabbit is popular in America.
1 Intelligence was believed to be a fixed entity, some faculty of the mind that we all possess and which determines in some way the extent of our achievements. Its value therefore, was as a predictor of children's future learning. If they differed markedly in their ability to learn complex tasks, then it was clearly necessary to educate them differently and the need for different types of school and even different ability groups within school was obvious. Intelligence tests could be used for streaming children according to ability at an early age; and at 11 these tests were superior to measures of attainment for selecting children for different types of secondary education. 2 Today, we are beginning to think differently. In the last few years, research has thrown doubt on the view that innate intelligence can ever be measured and on the very nature of intelligence itself. There is considerable evidence now which shows the great influence of environment both on achievement and intelligence. Children with poor home backgrounds not only do less well in their school work and intelligence tests but their performance tends to deteriorate gradually compared with that of their more fortunate classmates. 3 There are evidences that support the view that we have to distinguish between genetic intelligence and observed intelligence. Any deficiency in the appropriate genes will restrict development no matter how stimulating the environment. We cannot observe and measure innate intelligence, whereas we can observe and measure the effects of the interaction of whatever is. Inherited with whatever stimulation has been received from the environment. Researches have been investigating what happens in this interaction. 4 Two major findings have emerged from these researches. Firstly, the greater part of the development of observed intelligence occurs in the earliest years of life. It is estimated that 50 percent of measurable intelligence at age 17 is already predictable by the age of four. Secondly, the most important factors in the environment are language and psychological aspect of the parent-child relationship. Much of the difference in measured intelligence between "privileged" and "disadvantaged" children may be due to the latter's lack of appropriate verbal stimulation and the poverty of their perceptual experiences. 5 These research findings have led to a revision in our understanding of the nature of intelligence. Instead of it being some largely inherited fixed power of the mind, we now see it as a set of developed skills with which a person copes with any environment. These skills have to be learned and, indeed, one of them is learning how to learn. 6 The modem ideas concerning the nature of intelligence are bound to have some effect on our school system. In one respect a change is already occurring. With the move toward comprehensive education and the development of unstreamed classes, fewer children will be given the label "low IQ" which must inevitably condemn a child in his own, if not society's eyes. The idea that we can teach children to be intelligent in the same way as we can teach them reading or arithmetic is accepted by more and more people. A Main Results of Recent Researches B Popular Doubt about the New View C Effect of Environment on Intelligence D Intelligence and Achievement E Impact on School Education F A Changed View of Intelligence
A we can teach them reading or arithmetic B a set of developed skills C schoolwork and intelligence tests D according to ability at an early age E a fixed entity F the most important factors in the environment are language and psychological aspects of the parent-child relationship
5. Intelligence tests could be used for streaming children______.
D
[解析] 选D的依据是文章第1段最后一句的前半句：Intelligence tests could be used for streaming children according to ability at an early age。
6. One of the two major findings of researches is that the greater part of the development of observed intelligence occur in the earliest years of life, the other is that______.
NASA scientists said that Mars was covered once by vast lakes, flowing rivers and a variety of other wet environments that had the potential to support life. Laboratory tests aboard NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander have identified water in a soil sample; the lander's robotic arm delivered the sample Wednesday to an instrument that identifies vapors produced by the heating of samples. "We have water," said William Boynton of the University of Arizona, lead scientist for the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer, or TEGA "This is the first time Martian water has been touched and tasted. " The robotic arm is a critical part of the Phoenix Mars mission. It is needed to trench into the icy layers of northern polar Mars and deliver samples to instruments that will analyze what Mars is made of, what its water is like, and whether it is or has ever been a possible habitat for life. The soil sample came from a trench approximately 2 inches deep. When the robotic arm first reached that depth, it hit a hard layer of frozen soil. Two attempts to deliver samples of icy soil on days when fresh material was exposed were foiled when the samples became stuck inside the scoop. Most of the material in Wednesday's sample had been exposed to the air for two days, letting some of the water in the sample vaporize away and making the soil easier to handle. "Mars is giving us some surprises," said Phoenix principal investigator Peter Smith of the University of Arizona. "We're excited because surprises are where discoveries come from. One surprise is how the soil is behaving. The ice-rich layers stick to the scoop when poised in the sun above the deck, different from what we expected, from all the Mars simulation testing we've done so far." Since landing on May 25, Phoenix has been studying soil with a chemistry lab, TEGA, a microscope, a conductivity probe and cameras. The science team is trying to determine whether the water ice ever thaws enough to be available for biology and if carbon-containing chemicals and other raw materials for life are present. The mission is examining the sky as well as the ground. A Canadian instrument is using a laser beam to study dust and clouds overhead. "It's a 30-watt light bulb giving us a laser show on Mars," said Victoria Hipkin of the Canadian Space Agency. A full-circle, color panorama of Phoenix's surroundings also has been completed by the spacecraft. "The details and patterns we see in the ground show an ice-dominated terrain as far as the eye can see," said Mark Lemmon of Texas A & M University, lead scientist for Phoenix's Surface Stereo Imager camera. "They help us plan measurements we're making within reach of the robotic arm and interpret those measurements on a wider scale. "
1. What was discovered by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander on Mars?
A.Vast lakes.
B.Flowing rivers.
C.Water in a soil sample.
D.Living things.
A B C D
C
[解析] 短文第1段告诉我们，NASA科学家曾经说过，火星上有广阔的湖泊、河流，还可能有支撑生命的潮湿环境。但这些只是科学家的假设，不是NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander的发现，所以只有选项C是正确的。
2. Why did the first two attempts to deliver samples fail?
A.The sample vaporized away.
B.Fresh material was exposed to the air.
C.The samples got stuck inside the scoop.
D.The robotic arm hit a hard rock.
A B C D
C
[解析] 短文第5段第3句提供了答案。
3. Which one of the following statements is NOT meant by the writer?
A.Scientists have been trying to break the ice-rich layers of soil on Mars.
B.Scientists have been surprised by how the soil on Mars behaves.
C.Scientists have been trying to fend out if there is life supporting material on Mars.
D.Scientists have been trying to know if water ice will melt.
4. Where are the scientists involved in the research from?
A.They are from America.
B.They are from Canada.
C.They are from both America and Canada.
D.They are from neither America nor Canada.
A B C D
C
[解析] 短文的第8段和第9段提到了加拿大宇航局的科学家为凤凰号的火星探索提供了激光设备。
5. Which of the following do you think is the best description of Phoenix's Surface Stereo Imager Camera, according to your understanding of the passage?
A.It imitates human vision and is able to capture three-dimensional images.
B.It imitates human voice and is able to record slight sounds while taking photos.
C.It takes clear photos that show every detail of the object.
D.It is this particular type of camera that can take wide angle pictures.
A B C D
A
[解析] 短文最后一段的第1句(A full-circle, color panorama of Phoenix's surroundings also has been completed...)告诉我们，使用这种照相机可以拍摄全景照片。panorama：全景、全景摄影。
第二篇
Where Have All the Bees Gone?
Scientists who study insects have a real mystery on their hands. All across the country, honeybees are leaving their hives and never returning. Researchers call this phenomenon colony-collapse disorder. According to surveys of beekeepers across the country, 25 to 40 percent of the honeybees in the United States have vanished from their hives since last fall. So far, no one can explain why. Colony collapse is a serious concern because bees play an important role in the production of about one-third of the foods we eat. As they feed, honeybees spread pollen from flower to flower. Without this process, a plant can't produce seeds or fruits. Now, a group of scientists and beekeepers have teamed up to try to figure out what's causing the alarming collapse of so many colonies. By sharing their expertise in honeybee behavior, health, and nutrition, team members hope to find out what's contributing to the decline and to prevent bee disappearances in the future. It could be that disease is causing the disappearance of the bees. To explore that possibility, Jay Evans, a researcher at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA Bee Research Laboratory, examines bees taken from colonies that are collapsing. "We know what s healthy bee should look like on the inside, and we can look for physical signs of disease," he says. And bees from collapsing colonies don't look very healthy. "Their stomachs are worn down, compared to the stomachs of healthy bees," Evans says. It may be that a parasite is damaging the bees' digestive organs. Their immune systems may not be working as they should. Moreover, they have high levels of bacteria inside their bodies. Another cause of colony-collapse disorder may be certain chemicals that farmers apply to kill unwanted insects on crops, says Jerry Hayes, chief bee inspector for the Florida Department of Agriculture. Some studies, he says, suggest that a certain type of insecticide affects the honeybee's nervous system (which includes the brain) and memory. "It seems like honeybees are going out and getting confused about where to go and what to do," he says. If it turns out that a disease is contributing to colony collapse, bees' genes could explain why some colonies have collapsed and others have not. In any group of bees there are many different kinds of genes. The more different genes a group has, the higher the group's genetic diversity. So far scientists haven't determined the role of genetic diversity in colony collapse, but it's a promising theory, says Evans.
1. What is the mystery that researchers find hard to explain?
A.Honeybees are flying all across the country.
B.25-40 percent of the honeybees in the US have died.
C.Honeybees are leaving their hives and do not return.
2. Why are researchers seriously concerned with the phenomenon of colony-collapse disorder? Ａ. Because honeybees produce one-third of the foods we eat. Ｂ. Because honeybees feed on flowers. Ｃ. Because honeybees eat seeds of flowers. Ｄ. Both B and C.
The New York Times recently reported that American teens are hugging practically everyone they see. Say goodbye to the greetings of the past, from the hands-off "What's up!" to the handshake or high-five. For young people across the country, hugging is the new "Hello". Girls are hugging girls. Boys are hugging boys. Girls and boys are hugging each other. And, like every major trend, there are lots of variations on the form. There's the classic, full-body, arms-around-the-person bear hug, the casual one-armed side hug, the group hug and the hug from behind. There's the handshake that turns into a hug and the hug that turns into a pat on the back. As trends go, this one seems pretty innocent. But some parents, teachers and school administrators are worried nonetheless. Will young people who aren't as comfortable with physical contact feel peer pressured into hugging? Will kids who don't receive hugs feel left out? Could an extra-long hug slide into the more ominous territory of sexual harassment? In response to some of these concerns, some schools have set up new rules to limit or eliminate hugging. One school head has created a three-second limitation for hugs at her school. A few schools have taken even more drastic measures, placing a ban on all forms of touching between students. A few important points are being left out of the discussion. While the US has traditionally been reserved about touching saving hugs and kisses for relatives, romantic partners and very close friends--people in many other parts of the world have been greeting each other this way for ages. In Latin America or Western Europe, in countries like Spain, France, and Italy, a kiss on the cheek is common among women, as well as among women and men who are not romantically involved. The cheek-kiss varies by region. Sometimes it is just an air kiss blown past the face. In other places, the proper way of greeting is to deliver a kiss upon both cheeks, or sometimes even a triplet of kisses performed by kissing one cheek, then the other, then back to the first. Latin American men are more likely to shake hands when greeting other men, but in some countries like Turkey, it's not unusual for men who know each other well to exchange kisses on the cheek. Meanwhile, for the Maori people of New Zealand, a traditional greeting called the "hongi" involves pressing noses together. So, from a global perspective, the new trend of teen hugging in America is not so "new" after all. People all around the world move in close to say hello, and Americans are just now joining in.
1. The word "practically" in the first paragraph could be best replaced by______
British Columbia is the third largest Canadian province, both in area and population. It is nearly one and a half times as large as Texas, and extends 800 miles (1,280 km) north from the United States border. 1 . Most of British Columbia is mountainous, with long rugged ranges running north and south. 2 . During the last Ice Age, this range was scoured (侵蚀) by glaciers (冰川) until most of it was beneath the sea. Its peaks now show as islands scattered along the coast. The southwestern coastal region has a humid mild marine climate. Sea winds that blow inland from the west are warmed by a current of warm water that flows through the Pacific Ocean. As a result, winter temperatures average above freezing and. Summers are mild. 3 . 4 . As they rise to cross the mountains, the winds are cooled, and their moisture begins to fall as rain. On some of the western slopes almost 200 inches (500 cm) of rain fall each year. More than half of British Columbia is heavily forested. 5 . These forest giants often grow to be as much as 300 feet (90m) tall with diameters up to 10 feet (3m). More lumber is produced from these trees than from any other kind of tree in North America. A. On mountain slopes that receive plentiful rainfall, huge Douglas, firs (洋松) rise in towering columns B. It includes Canada's entire west coast and the islands just off the coast C. These warm western winds also carry moisture from the ocean D. Plants are the basis of the food pyramid for all living things, even for other plants E. Even the coastal islands are the remains of a mountain range that existed thousands of years ago F. Inland from the coast, the winds from the Pacific meet the mountain barriers of the coastal ranges and the Rocky Mountains
One useful anti-cancer drug can effectively erase the whorls and other characteristic marks that give people their distinctive fingerprints. Losing them could become troublesome. A case 1 online in a letter by Annals of Oncology (肿瘤学) indicates how big a 2 of losing fingerprints is. Eng-Huat Tan, a Singapore-based medical doctor describes a 62-year-old man who has used capecitabine to 3 his nasopharyngeal cancer (鼻咽喉). After three years on the 4 , the patient decided to visit U. S. relatives last December. But he was stopped by U. S. customs officials 5 4 hours after entering the country when those officials couldn't get fingerprints from the man. There were no 6 swirly marks appearing from his index finger. "U. S. customs has been fingerprinting incoming foreign visitors for years." Tan says. "unfortunately, for the Singaporean traveler, one potential 7 effect of his drug treatment is a smoothing of the tissue on the finger pads. 8 , no fingerprints." "It is uncertain when fingerprint 9 will begin to take place in patients who are taking capecitabine," Tan points out. So he 10 any physicians who prescribe the drug to provide their patients with a doctor's 11 pointing out that their medicine may cause fingerprints to disappear. Eventually, the Singapore traveler made it into the United States. I guess the name on his passport didn't raise any red flags. But he's also now got the explanatory doctor's note-and won't leave home 12 it. By the way, maybe the Food and Drug Administration (美国食品药物管理局), 13 approved use of the drug 11 years ago, should consider updating its list of side effects 14 with this medicine. The current list does note that patients may experience vomiting (呕吐), stomach pain and some other side effects. But no where 15 it mention the potential for loss of fingerprints.
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